Illuminated sign.



PATBNTBD APR. 21, 1908. rR. R. WILEY; ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED' 001.23, 1906.

ROY' RODNEY WILEY, OF sT. cA'rIIERINEs, ONTARIO, CANADA.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

specification ef` Lettere Patent.'

Patented April 21, 1908.

Application led October 23, 1906.` Serial No. 340,189.

v To all whom 'it may concern:

13e it known that I,v ROY RODNEY WILEY, citlzen of United States, residing at St. Catherlnes, Ontario, Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Signs, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to illuminated ad-k vertising signs,` name plates, numbers of houses, store signs and illuminated letters and numerals generally. I -will show and describe a letter, as representative of numerals, letters and pictures.V

^ The objects of my invention are to insure' economy Of light; to, provide illuminating letters, which will be clear, brilliant and easily legible at comparatively long dis-l tances; to facilitate the assembling and removal of the letters 5 to provide letters i which are legible either day or night; to

secure maximum economy and simplicity of construction of this type of letters; andV to furnish letters which are artistic, and certain to attract the attention of the public.

The invention includes the features of construction and arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, `Figure 1 is a front view of the sign member or letter. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the sign letter adapted for small signs construction adapted for large letters. Fig. 4 is a modified form of letter in which the front and back are formed separately and are arranged with a space be. tween those portions through which the light rays pass. Fig.- 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but with the front and back portions of the letter spaced a art to secure a greater concentration of the lght rays.

IteferrinoP to these drawings, the whole character and plate (A) is of glass pressed out in a mold; a mortise l) being provided to fit the plates together. The rear curve D is convex and of the proper curvature to bend all perpendicular light rays into the concave front curve C. This front portion of the character is in relief from the plate to give the character prominence and to allow the maximum number of'light rays to be bent into thefront curve C. The relief portion of the letters permit them to be easily grasped when changing the wording of a sign. The curve C is concave ofthe roper curvature to cause the light rays to eave the character perpendicularly to the plate A or in the same direction as the rays entering the letter. Thus the entering rays m and ln, are refracted towardsthe center and upon leaving curve C, they extend in perpendicular lines m and n. `Ordinarily the lines of the mortise b (Fig. l) and of the Opplosite edge b will be parallel to those of t e character on the plate, but I do not wish to confine myself to this form of mortise. In making larger letters the glass letter plate is done away with and there are merely flanges A Fig. 3 which are bolted to a metal plate a Fig. 3. The refraction .in this letter is the same as in -smaller letters the only difference being that `we do away with the letter plate being molded with the sign character which would b e very difficult in the case of large letters due to unequal strain in cooling.

In Fig. 4 is shown a construction which is used in still larger letters. This character is pressed out in two separate parts, a front portion B and a rear4 portion D which are bolted, `welded or Aotherwise fastened together and the whole character mounted on a plate al (preferably of metal) by means of y olts or other convenient methods. This construction gives an extremely light letter which of course is of great advantage in large signs. Entering light rays are shown at rm and n. At curve D the are refracted towards the center. Curve does not refract the rays because it is of such a curvature that the rays strike it perpendicularly, that is, in the line ofeXtended radii. Curve C again refracts the rays sending them out perpendicular to the plane of the letter as m and n. Surface C does not refract the rays because they leave it erpendicularly.

\ Of course-t e details of this construction could be slightly changed without altering the main idea, which is to concentrate light rays which come perpendicularly to the back of the character into a small area at the front pf ihe character and emit them perpendicu` ar y.

Fig. 5 shows the same construction as Fig. 4 except that the back portion instead of being fastened directly to the front portion is put further back by means of spacers E. This allows of a much wider curve at D so that a stillgreater portion of light is concentratedI into the front of the sign character. By means of the lines t and t we have a graphical comparison of the amount of light which would go through surface C without the rear portion and with it. The difference Iio in length of t and t shows the increase' in brilliancy due to the use of the rear portion less, .of course, the loss due to absorption by the refractory medium. This rear portion DZ could be moved still further back thus giving greater brilliancy.

There are other obvious modifications of the invention Within the scope of the appended claims which do not depart from the spirit thereof.

l thus obtain sign characters which are very economical and eflicient; which are extremely brilliant with small energy consum )tion and Which are very legible, owing to tlie approximately perpendicular direction of the light emitted.

l claim as my invention:

1. A sign letter having a convex back portion and a concave front portion of smaller' area the said portions being adapted to refract the light rays and emit said rays perpendicularly to the sign and concentrated With respect to the entering rays substantially as described.

2. A sign letter having a front and a back portion separated from each other' and having curved surfaces adapted to refract the light rays and cause them to emerge perpendicular to the letter' surface and concentrated with respect to the entering rays substantially as described.

3. A sign letter comprising front and back portions the latter of which is of larger area and spacing means separating the said por tions which portions are provided With curved surfaces adapted to receive the light rays at the back perpendicularly, refract them and emit them in concentrated form and perpendicularly to the surface of the sign substantially as described.

4. A sign character having a convex hack surface for incident light rays, a first concave surface in front of the back surface, a second concave surface in front of said first concave surface, and having a plane surface in front of the second concave surface, snr aller' in arca than said back surface.

5. A sign character of glass, having a convex back surface for incident light rays, a first concave surface in Vfront of the back surface, a second concave surface in front el' said first concave surface, and having a plane surface in front of the second concave snrface, smaller in area than said back surface, said surfaces being curved for first concentrating the incident light rays, and 'finally emitting the same in parallel lines whose cross section is a letter.

6. A sign character having front and back glass portions separable from each other, and having curved surfaces for refracting the light rays, and causing them to be emitted substantially parallel to each other and suhstantially perpendicular to the sign clnrractcrs and concentrated with respect to the rays incident to said back portions.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROY RODNEY WILEY.

litnesses A. W. l\lAnQUrs, W. STUART LANE. 

